Method of and means for laying out model railroad track



March 25, 1953 W- H. HIMES METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR LAYING OUT MODELRAILROAD TRACK Filed May 2, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wflham H.Hume's Hi. A fforlzg Wlarch 25, 1958 w. H. HIMES 2,327,633

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR LAYING OUT MODEL RAILROAD TRACK Filed May 2,1955 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 nae FIG-9 A INVENTOR: v 52 r William H.HlmesPic-51s 5 W. H. HIMES March 25, 1958 v METHOD OF AND mus FOR LAYING om-MonEnRAILRoAD TRACK Filed May 2, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. WiHiamH. Himes United States METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR LAYING OUT MODEL RAILRDADTRACK This invention relates to a method of and means for defining andforming curves in model railroad track in preparation for spiking to aroad bed.

For use in model railroading there has been made commercially availablea track made in appropriate scale proportions and usually sold inthree-foot lengths, the track being flexible so that it may be installedon the road bed according to any desired curvature and then piked to theroad bed to maintain such curvature. At present, to construct a curve itis customary to strike the desired radius with suitable compass-liketools and then to calculate and lay out the proper easement ortransition curve leading from the straight section of track into theportion of principal curvature and out of such portion into anotherstraight section of track. The transition curve may also be establishedby means of an involute involving the use of several diminishing radiigreater than the desired radius. Whatever method may be used, the layoutof the transition curve starts at a point contiguous and at right anglesto the straight track and ends at a similar point with respect to theadjacent end of the desired radius or principal curve. These points aresometimes called tangent points and will hereinafter be so identified.After the desired radii have been struck and an appropriate layout made,a flexible track section is hand formed to a matching curvature and asso formed is fastened, as by spikes to the underlying support. Thedescribed method of establishing and forming track curves thus suffersfrom certain disadvantages. The layout of the proper curve and itseasement is a relatively time consuming operation and a notinconsiderable amount of skill is required for its proper execution.Also, the hand forming of a track section does not readily result in theforming of a smooth curve and care must be exercisedto avoid kinks andundulations.

An object of the instant invention is to simplify the establishing andforming of curves in model railroad track and to insure smoothness andaccuracy in the configuration of such curves.

Another object of the invention is to obviate the need for executing apreliminary layout of the principal curve and its easement.

A further object of the invention is to present a generally new methodof laying model railroad track, involving the use of templates servingto form the track to the desired radii as well as to hold the track soformed while it is being spiked to the road bed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide template 'meansuseful in the constructing of curves in model railroad track. A

Other objects and structural details of the invention will appear fromthe following description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a template of standard radius and atransition template in end to end position as used in the forming of acurve, there being shown in conjunction with the templates radius andangle lines atent G useful to an understanding of the construction andmode of use of the templates;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of a section of track of the kindcurved in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the track shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the rails removed and showingonly the tie strip;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a template in place in thetrack and further showing the track spiked to a road bed;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a plurality of templates ofa series of standard radii, including transition templates, and showingradial lines extending therefrom;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the series of templates ofstandard radius arranged for use without the transition templates;

Fig. 8 shows how a transition template may be used to obtain a reversecurve;

Fig. 9 is a detail view in plan of a template of standard radius showingthe scale marking thereon useful in forming curves connecting straightaway portions of other than relationship;

Fig. 10 is a view showing how a transition template is installed in thetrack;

Fig. 11 is a view like Fig. 10, showing the track bent to and conformingto the curvature of the transition template;

Pig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11, showing the template of standardradius installed in the track beyond the transition template;

Figs. 13 and 14 are views of a curving track, showing successive stepsin the forming of a 30, 45, 60 curve and the like.

Referring to the drawings, a model railroad track of the kind with whichthe instant invention is concerned cornprises a fiber tie strip 26presenting simulated ties 21 interconnected by integral laterally spacedapart ribbons 22. and 23, the latter being separated between alternateties by cuts 24 and 25. The arrangement is such as to provide fortwisting or bending of the tie strip 20 in its own plane about itslongitudinal axis. Mounted on the strip 29 in overlying superposedrelation to the ribbons 22 and 23 are brass rails 26 and 27, the railsbeing secured to the tie strip by clips 28 installed in openings 29 inthe strip 26 and being U-shaped for clamping engagement with the flangeof a rail and the underside of the tie strip. The track assembly asdescribed is in use usually secured, as by spikes 31 to a wood road bed3:). A template 32 is shown in Fig. 5 received between the rails 26 and27. The template 32 is made of a relatively heavy and rigid materialsuch as steel, and, as will be understood, when curved may be used toenforce a corresponding curvature of the track, which is bent by hand toconform to the shape of the template. The brass rails 27 and 26 areflexible for this purpose and the tie strip 26, as above mentioned, hasa freedom of flexure defined by the cuts 24 and 25. As will be furtherunderstood, a template 32 may be used to establish a curvature for thetrack and will also serve to hold the track in the accomplished curvewhile the spikes 31 are being driven permanently to lay the track in itscurved formation to the road bed 39. The template has a thicknessapproximately twice the height of the rail and a width calculated topermit of its installation between the rails with a slight press fit.

cordance with what may be termed a desired or standard It will'beunderstood, in: v this latter connection, that the template isdesigned forgauge, for example HO gauge.

interfit between rails of a flexible track section to cause said tracksection to conform to the shape of said plate, said plate being made tocorrespond to and define a predetermined model railroading standardradius.

4. Template means for forming curves in model railroad track using alength of flexible track, including an arcuate rigid plate adapted tointerfit between rails to cause the track to conform to the shape ofsaid plate, said plate being made to correspond to and define apredetermined model railroad standard radius and having a width to bereceived between said rails with a press fit, at least one end of saidplate having a radial formation.

5. Template means according to claim 4, characterized by another arcuaterigid plate adapted to interfit between rails in end to end relation tothe first said curve to define a transition curve, said second platehaving one end approximately parallel to said one end of the first saidplate, said ends abutting in a line radial with respect to the firstsaid plate.

6. Template means for forming curves in model railroad track using alength of flexible track, including a rigid arcuate plate formed on aradius standard in the model railroading art, the ends of said plateconforming to said radius, said plate having a width to be receivedbetween rails of said track, and another rigid arcuate plate adapted tobe installed between the rails of the track in end to end relation tothe first said plate to define in said track a transition curve leadinginto or out of the curve defined by the first said plate.

7. Template means according to claim 6, characterized in that the secondsaid plate is formed on a radius which is a predetermined multiple ofthe radius on which the first said plate is formed, the adjacent ends ofsaid plates substantially abutting one another in a line passing throughthe centers of the radii of said plates.

8. Template means for forming curves in model railroad tracks, includingan arcuate rigid plate of a width to fit between the rails of the track,radial lines extending from any point along said plate passing through acommon center, said plate being positioned to lie within a right anglehaving said common center as its vertex and to have one end thereof inpredetermined constant angular relation to one side of said angleirrespective of the length and radius of said plate.

9. Template means for forming curves in model rail road tracks,including first and second arcuate rigid plates of a width to fitbetween the rails of the track, said plates being respectively formed todefine a principal curve of standard radius and a transition curve, thelatter having a radius which is a predetermined multiple of saidstandard radius, said plates being placed in substantially end to endrelation to define said curves, said second plate having a lengthbearing a predetermined fixed relation to the distance between a line 90tangent to the end of the straight away portion of the track and aparallel line passing through the center of said standard radius.

10. Template means according to claim 9, characterized in that the saiddistance between said parallel lines is constant for any one of a seriesof concentric standard radii whereby to make said second plateapplicable for use with any one of a series of said first plates ofprogressively greater and lesser standard radius.

11. A method of laying curves in model railroad tracks, wherein thetrack comprises a flexible tie strip and flexible metal rails securedthereto, including the steps of forming a rigid template of a desiredcurvature and of a width snugly to inter-fit between the rails of thetrack, pressing said template into place on the track while bending thetrack to conform to the shape of the template, spiking the track to anunder support while said template remains in place, and removing saidtemplate.

12. A method according to claim 11, characterized by the further stepsof forming another template on a radius which is a multiple of theradius of the first said template, placing one end of said othertemplate in adjacent substantially aligned relation to one end of thefirst said template, and conforming the track to said other plate todefine in said track a transition curve leading into or out of theprincipal curve as defined by the first said template.

13. A method of laying model railroad track wherein the track comprisesa flexible tie strip and flexible rails secured to said strip, includingthe steps of laying straight away track up to a predetermined point,installing in the track between said rails beyond said point a curvedtemplate, the track being bent to conform to the shape of said template,and similarly installing in the track between said point and the firstsaid template a transition template of lesser curvature than the firstsaid template, said transition template having a length greater than thedistance between a line drawn through said point at right angles to thestraight away and a parallel line drawn through the center of the radiusof the first said template.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that said distanceis a constant for all radii of a standard series of radii from which thefirst said template may be selected, the length of said transitiontemplate being a predetermined fixed multiple of said constant.

15. A method of laying curves of or less in model railroad trackincluding the steps of placing in superposed relation to the track andin end to end relation to one another a curve template and a transitiontemplate, conforming the shape of the track to the curve defined by saidtemplates, said curve template having a scale thereon, marking the trackat a selected point along said scale, removing said templates andreplacing said transition template in superposed relation to the trackwith one end thereof in adjacent aligned relation to the mark in saidtrack, conforming the track beyond said mark to said transitiontemplate, removing said transition template, and spiking the track to anunder support while said templates are in superposed relation thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS866,152 Merritt Sept. 17, 1907 1,515,894 Taylor Nov. 18, 1924 1,565,001Bayer Dec. 8, 1925 2,117,724 Ibbetson May 17, 1938 2,562,287 WebsterJuly 31, 1951 2,694,864 Romer Nov. 23, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES K & ECatalogue (38 ed.), received July 22, 1938, pp. 236-237.

